REVIEW: Pax by Sarah Pennypacker, Illustrations by Jon Klassen

A literary tale told from two perspectives, a boy named Peter and his fox named Pax, who are separated and must find one another. I found both perspectives to be very strong, but I liked reading from Pax’s perspective the most. It was the most new and unfamiliar, with detailed sensory language that only a fox would care to notice. I also really enjoyed the rich writing of the author.

“The two [foxes] padded steadily for an hour through light woods, Pax restraining himself to keep pace with the ailing Gray, relieved at least that they kept moving. But when a murder of crows landed in the bare arms of a pecan tree, Gray doubled back and sad down at its base, ears pricked up intently at the commotion.”

The illustrations were minimal, but still detailed and beautiful. A good artistic choice that set the tone for the story. I was satisfied with the conclusion and the character arc for both characters, though I’m surprised (view spoiler)[there were no consequences for Peter when he ran away from home (hide spoiler)]. The themes of friendship, love, war, and peace were all interspersed throughout the novel. The book touched on a lot of heavy themes, which I appreciated, but still kept the story accessible to all readers.